April 25 – The Chicago Bears have donated the Walter Payton Center (WPC) turf to the Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park located in Rockford, Ill. Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park is home to a variety of Rockford Park District’s Youth Sports programs, including NFL Flag Football (boys and girls), NFL Cheer and Northern Illinois Girls Flag Football League (Bears Care Funded). The 77-acre park is located in southwest Rockford.
After hearing from the community in 2020, the Rockford Park District began adding amenities at the park due to continued growth of youth sports in the park district. The renovation of the turf from the WPC at the Bears’ practice facility is part of that response to the community and will help improve the quality of current playing fields. Additionally, that feedback helped drive and guide the design process. As funding is secured, the Chicago Bears turf donation will be part of larger, future improvements made at the park.
The turf from the WPC will be used to create a warmup area and enhance opportunities provided for youth and teens. Informative signs on-site will share more about where the turf was located before and highlight some of the Chicago Bears athletes who played on the turf, inspiring the next generation.
“We are thrilled that the Chicago Bears organization chose to donate Walter Payton Center turf to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for anyone who utilizes this sports facility. Youth and teens will be playing on turf that was played on by some of the greatest Chicago Bears athletes of all time. We are making history together again. The Chicago Bears are always so generous with their resources, and it is making a significant difference in the lives of area youth,” said Lamont Jones, Rockford Park District General Manager of Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park, Youth Sports Programs and Community Outreach.
Act Global also donated their time and labor in delivering the turf to the Rockford Park District. Act Global is a global artificial grass manufacturer that takes corporate social responsibility seriously with a mission to enhance global land use and positively impact society using synthetic turf.
The total co-donation was made between the Chicago Bears and Act Global, with the Bears donating turf and infill material and Act Global donating labor towards the install. The turf is expected to be installed and ready for use by the summer of 2024.
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About Act Global
Act Global is based in Austin, Texas and is a part of the Beaulieu International Group (B.I.G.). Founded in 1959, B.I.G. employs over 4,900 people worldwide in 19 countries throughout Eurasia, America and Oceania and serves customers in 140 countries. In 2021, B.I.G. reported sales of €2.5 billion. Act Global operates its world-class manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and has serviced clients in more than 90 countries. Act Global is a FIFA licensee (soccer), FIH Preferred Supplier (hockey) and a World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer with over 300 certified fields installed around the world. Its experience includes multiple NFL football installations, a growing North American landscaping business, patented aviation and landfill solutions, and recognition by the industry Synthetic Turf Council for its sustainability and philanthropic efforts.
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